Wrap your head around this one: a 150-button guitar peripheral. That's for the pro version of Rock Band 3, whose goal is to actually turn the controllers into something more fitting of actual musicianship in a separate, more advanced "Pro" mode (the core game is still intact for those want it). First up is the aforementioned two-octave keyboard / keytar, whose difficulty goes from pressing within one of five ranges to actual dead-on notes. For drums, the three cymbals can now actually function as separate notes, sharing three lanes but given their own shape to know which to hit. Guitar, however, is a whole new beast. A $150 Fender Mustang pro (pictured up top) boasts 17 frets and 6 strings of accurate placement for a total of 102 buttons, and six nylon strings that must be plucked individually. Of course, if that hits the uncanny valley of plastic peripherals too closely, there's a Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster that'll be coming out that can actually be used as a real guitar or a Pro model. Vocal melodies from Beatles Rock Band carry over here. No concrete release date; head on over to new Joystiq for the preview, or if you want to see true trendsetters, watch Devo predict this game all the way from 1982 -- that video's after the break.
This can probably make practicing more fun than it otherwise is, we might be able to grow some talented musicians that would've never put in the same work otherwise....i dunno
@juanvaldez Wonder how they plan on streaming the notes for a full neck guitar like that? Its not just five buttons anymore...break the notes down into segments like chord books do (I, II, III, IV, V, etc) for diff places on the neck?
@wsh03370 I gathered from "A $150 Fender Mustang pro (pictured up top) boasts 17 frets and 6 strings of accurate placement for a total of 102 buttons, and six nylon strings that must be plucked individually. " that they would actually be reading sheet music and doing away with the old UI for anyone playing in this mode (I was imagining something like karaoke with all the notes like line music and them being highlighted as you went along...I wasn't really sure though. )
It seems that the--" Pew. The bald guy that designs for Apple, sent by Jobs at the request of Harmonix, takes juanvaldez out with a clean, silenced headshot from a small handgun. juanvaldez's dead body slumps over. His right ear falls in precisely the right way, hitting the enter button and submitting his last words post-humously. Jobs, watching from his all-white, ultra-modern high-rise penthouse through Apple's magical new Facetime, lets out the faintest of smiles before turning off the screen of his iPhone 4 and heading upstairs to put his wife and daughter to bed...
@Plazmic Flame then learn to play guitar. a videogame isn't going to teach you good practices of playing guitar. and for 150$+50$ for the game and god knows how much are the other peripherals you can get a decent guitar
@Ziv A decent guitar, a cheap amp, a case and a neckstrap will run you $350+. If you want to get any effects pedals and extra strings you're easily talking $400-500.
@Faceless Troll If you save up your money you should start out with a decent setup, I started with a Mexican strat (i love this thing) and a line 6 amp and I haven't really had to buy anything else but strings.
I've been playing for 3 years, start off with good gear, it will last you.
@bmiller dude no when people play the guitar they play it with there bodys and soul not along with a dam video game this is crap the real thing is nothing you can recreate except when u have a real instrument and truly want to express yourself
@theonlysmr And how do you expect to people to learn how to play if not mimicking someone else's songs? And have you ever heard about cover bands? Band that...*GASP*...Mimic someone else's music?
So why not just get real instruments? You can find tabs (which is essentially what Rock Band gives you onscreen anyway) online and play any song you want.
And if you have friends, start a cover band. It will get you laid way quicker than playing in a Rock Band "band"
@wsh03370 Because "just getting instruments" doesn't give you tracks to play along with, nor software that can actually help teach you, nor a fun career advancement mode...and most of all, doesn't give you, you know, a game to play.
@wsh03370 While you're at it, stop playing FPS games and enlist in the US Military and start shooting people with a real gun and get shot at by real bullets.
Argument used over and over again: Games are entertainment. Real life is... Real life.
@wsh03370 Why not buy real instruments? Because sometimes I just want to a f'king video game. That's why.
Sorry, but the need for some people to direct the lives of others sometimes pisses me off. When I want to play a real guitar I will play one. When I want to play a video game that involves a guitar then that is what I will play.
@wsh03370 Instead of playing NBA 2K10, why not go out and join the Lakers or the Celtics? And if you have friends, start a league. It will get you laid way quicker than playing on a NBA 2K10 "team".
Instead of playing Super Mario, why not go out and stomp on turtles and eat strange mushrooms you find? And if you have friends, rescue a princess. It will get you laid way quicker than starting a Super Mario "mission".
Thats my point. There's a huge difference btwn a music game and a FPS. My argument is that this game encroaches so closley on reality that it seems to lose its purpose. Its no longer a game, its almost a simulator
If you're gonna have to learn to play a 17 fret 6 string Rock Band guitar y not learn how to play an actual guitar? For the price they prbly end up charging (i'm guessing around $100) you could buy a cheap guitar (used, pawned, whatever). And you dont need software to learn guitar, pick up a beginners tab book for $5, the learning curve will be the same, it will take just as long to get good at. And I dont need to buy tracks when I already have a computer full of mp3's
Same goes for the drums and the keyboard. If they're gonna make it so close to the real thing that it will be just as hard and take just as long to get good at why not just learn the real thing?
looks like a midi jack on the side of the keyboard. wonder if it's in or out. it'd be nice to have a small portable keyboard to use with reason on my laptop. but it'd also be cool to use my full size yamaha on the game.
@wilburX There's supposed to be a adapter you can buy for $40 to use any MIDI keyboard or drum kit with, and the keyboard and Mustang support MIDI out.
@wilburX It would be nice if it had a USB port for those of us who don't already own specialized audio equipment. I'd also be cool with the game including a studio mode.
This is almost enough to make me give up my boycott of rockband style games. (And before anyone asks, having apartments with thin walls and teenagers next door that like playing Rock Band until 3am would make you hate it too.)
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posted June 11th 2010 12:44AM
This can probably make practicing more fun than it otherwise is, we might be able to grow some talented musicians that would've never put in the same work otherwise....i dunno
@juanvaldez
Wonder how they plan on streaming the notes for a full neck guitar like that? Its not just five buttons anymore...break the notes down into segments like chord books do (I, II, III, IV, V, etc) for diff places on the neck?
@wsh03370 I gathered from "A $150 Fender Mustang pro (pictured up top) boasts 17 frets and 6 strings of accurate placement for a total of 102 buttons, and six nylon strings that must be plucked individually. " that they would actually be reading sheet music and doing away with the old UI for anyone playing in this mode (I was imagining something like karaoke with all the notes like line music and them being highlighted as you went along...I wasn't really sure though. )
It seems that the
@juanvaldez
I always wanted to learn to play the guitar
@juanvaldez
Can someone check on this guy? I think he may have been killed mid-comment.
@sonicyoof Harmonix didn't want him leaking their info. Apparently Steve Jobs now oversees their operations.
@HurricaneDC
juanvaldez: "...I wasn't really sure though...
It seems that the--"
Pew.
The bald guy that designs for Apple, sent by Jobs at the request of Harmonix, takes juanvaldez out with a clean, silenced headshot from a small handgun. juanvaldez's dead body slumps over. His right ear falls in precisely the right way, hitting the enter button and submitting his last words post-humously. Jobs, watching from his all-white, ultra-modern high-rise penthouse through Apple's magical new Facetime, lets out the faintest of smiles before turning off the screen of his iPhone 4 and heading upstairs to put his wife and daughter to bed...
@sonicyoof
i didnt know Tom Clancy read engadget
@Plazmic Flame then learn to play guitar. a videogame isn't going to teach you good practices of playing guitar. and for 150$+50$ for the game and god knows how much are the other peripherals you can get a decent guitar
@sonicyoof
BOOM! HEADSHOT!!
@sonicyoof That reply is made of win
@Ziv A decent guitar, a cheap amp, a case and a neckstrap will run you $350+. If you want to get any effects pedals and extra strings you're easily talking $400-500.
@sonicyoof:
Really, I thought he was attacked by the Legendary Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh
@Faceless Troll If you save up your money you should start out with a decent setup, I started with a Mexican strat (i love this thing) and a line 6 amp and I haven't really had to buy anything else but strings.
I've been playing for 3 years, start off with good gear, it will last you.
thats impressive. Now people who spend hours on this game might be closer to playing a real guitar!
I guess it's not just a game anymore.
I'm going to be a musician finally!
@bmiller
dude no
when people play the guitar they play it with there bodys and soul not along with a dam video game
this is crap the real thing is nothing you can recreate except when u have a real instrument and truly want to express yourself
@theonlysmr You should start thinking of the English language as an instrument, too.
@theonlysmr
Pretty sure he was at least partially joking...
@Andy Anonymous
LOOOOOL
Acerbic remarks ftw.
@theonlysmr
Dude, at least learn to spell the swear words correctly.
. . .unless you were talking about an actual dam that holds water, in which case, I apologize.
Back on subject here . . .
That keytar's got XLR out! So I supposed that means I can use it as a MIDI controller, huh?
@theonlysmr And how do you expect to people to learn how to play if not mimicking someone else's songs? And have you ever heard about cover bands? Band that...*GASP*...Mimic someone else's music?
@Smart People Play Tuba
A dam video game sounds kind of interesting... Sim Dam? Dam Hero?
dear god...
@B3astofthe3ast
Yes, my child?
So why not just get real instruments? You can find tabs (which is essentially what Rock Band gives you onscreen anyway) online and play any song you want.
And if you have friends, start a cover band. It will get you laid way quicker than playing in a Rock Band "band"
@wsh03370 Because "just getting instruments" doesn't give you tracks to play along with, nor software that can actually help teach you, nor a fun career advancement mode...and most of all, doesn't give you, you know, a game to play.
@wsh03370
While you're at it, stop playing FPS games and enlist in the US Military and start shooting people with a real gun and get shot at by real bullets.
Argument used over and over again: Games are entertainment. Real life is... Real life.
@wsh03370 haha, a douch still tried to posture around this news? Epic fail man. Truly epic.
@wsh03370
Yeah, dudes in shitty cover bands get laid alllll the time...
@Aguiluz very good analogy :)
@Aguiluz That is a terrible analogy, you cant compare war to playing a bloody guitar. If anything it's the complete opposite.
@wsh03370
instead of using that racing steering wheel controller, why not go out and race real people on the streets? Seriously. Go do it.
@wsh03370
Why not buy real instruments? Because sometimes I just want to a f'king video game. That's why.
Sorry, but the need for some people to direct the lives of others sometimes pisses me off. When I want to play a real guitar I will play one. When I want to play a video game that involves a guitar then that is what I will play.
@wsh03370
Instead of playing NBA 2K10, why not go out and join the Lakers or the Celtics? And if you have friends, start a league. It will get you laid way quicker than playing on a NBA 2K10 "team".
Instead of playing Super Mario, why not go out and stomp on turtles and eat strange mushrooms you find? And if you have friends, rescue a princess. It will get you laid way quicker than starting a Super Mario "mission".
@Aguiluz
Thats my point. There's a huge difference btwn a music game and a FPS. My argument is that this game encroaches so closley on reality that it seems to lose its purpose. Its no longer a game, its almost a simulator
If you're gonna have to learn to play a 17 fret 6 string Rock Band guitar y not learn how to play an actual guitar? For the price they prbly end up charging (i'm guessing around $100) you could buy a cheap guitar (used, pawned, whatever). And you dont need software to learn guitar, pick up a beginners tab book for $5, the learning curve will be the same, it will take just as long to get good at. And I dont need to buy tracks when I already have a computer full of mp3's
Same goes for the drums and the keyboard. If they're gonna make it so close to the real thing that it will be just as hard and take just as long to get good at why not just learn the real thing?
Wow, suck on that Activision. I cannot wait for RB3, I can already tell it's going to kick ass and take names.
No more "rests" in the 7/4 section of "Tom Sawyer!" (for the bass part)
@HurricaneDC
Haha yeah, suck on that Activision. Real risk investment just burnt them on place.
it's becoming more like music lessons and simulators rather than games... COOL!!
looks like a midi jack on the side of the keyboard. wonder if it's in or out. it'd be nice to have a small portable keyboard to use with reason on my laptop. but it'd also be cool to use my full size yamaha on the game.
@wilburX
There's supposed to be a adapter you can buy for $40 to use any MIDI keyboard or drum kit with, and the keyboard and Mustang support MIDI out.
@wilburX It would be nice if it had a USB port for those of us who don't already own specialized audio equipment. I'd also be cool with the game including a studio mode.
@therpham
Well windows supports xbox peripherals (with a wireless adapter thing), so you could in theory do just that.
This is almost enough to make me give up my boycott of rockband style games. (And before anyone asks, having apartments with thin walls and teenagers next door that like playing Rock Band until 3am would make you hate it too.)
@Faceless Troll You should be happy they're rockband drums, not a real kit. Ha! Make you hate music!
Those drum kits are starting to pill up........cool.
@Irondog
They're OD'ing on drugs?